CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Paxton DeLaurent threw for a career-high 376 yards and single-game school record six touchdowns and DC Pippin kicked the game-winning 37-yard field goal to send Southeast Missouri (2-1, 1-0) to a thrilling 45-42 double overtime win over UT Martin (0-2, 0-1) Saturday.
 
In an early conference game with a playoff like feel, SEMO battled back from a two-score deficit to force overtime and take down the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Association preseason favorite in the league opener for both teams.
 
UTM was ahead, 35-21, with 12:35 remaining in the fourth quarter when the Redhawks mounted their ferocious comeback.
 
Mitchell Sellers, who did not play the first three quarters, put together a clutch performance catching three touchdowns, including two in the fourth period to send the game to overtime.
 
Sellers made his first touchdown reception of the season on a 5-yard pass from DeLaurent with 8:30 in regulation. His 10-yard touchdown catch then tied the game at 35-35 with 39 seconds on the clock.
 
In overtime, Sellers scored his career-high third touchdown on a diving catch on an 11-yard pass from DeLaurent to regain a 42-35 advantage in the first overtime.
 
Chris Daigre intercepted Kinkead Dent's pass in the end zone and SEMO's sideline erupted as if the Redhawks won the game. Official replay, however, overturned the call and the Skyhawks later gave the game its fifth tie when Asa Wondeh hauled in a 7-yard touchdown reception.
 
UTM started the second overtime with the ball and faced a fourth-and-3 at SEMO's 18-yard line. On the next play, Jaren Van Winkle's 36-yard field goal sailed wide right of the upright.
 
Following Van Winkle's miss, the Redhawks went back on offense and used a 22-yard completion from DeLaurent to Dorian Anderson to get to the UTM 19-yard line before Pippin kicked his game-winner.
 
UTM trailed, 21-14, with 12 minutes left in the third quarter when it scored 21-straight points to build its two-score lead. After that though, SEMO outscored the Skyhawks, 31-21, the rest of the way. 
 
SEMO struck first on its second drive of the game.
 
Khalani Riddick returned a punt 29 yards to the UTM 36-yard line. DeLaurent, after completing a 10-yard pass to Tristan Smith and 9-yard pass to Cam Pedro, found Smith for a 17-yard completion in the end zone. Smith's first career touchdown reception put the Redhawks ahead, 7-0, with 4:42 left ot play in the first quarter.
 
UTM answered with a pair of touchdowns by Trevonte Rucker. Rucker scored on a 20-yard reception to tie the game with 8:14 in the second quarter and put the Skyhawks ahead on his 3-yard catch on fourth down giving UTM a 14-7 advantage at the 3:31 mark.
 
SEMO countered by marching 75 yards on six plays. DeLaurent threw an 18-yard pass to Dorian Anderson who made a great run after the catch to get in the end zone bringing the score to a 14-14 deadlock with 1:40 left.
 
The Redhawks had another chance to put more points on the board just before halftime, but Pippin's 49-yard field goal attempt missed wide right.
 
DeLaurent completed 34-of-53 passes in his first career start against UTM. DeLaurent was out with a shoulder injury when SEMO faced the Skyhawks in 2023 and the teams did not play each other in 2022.
 
SEMO finished with 366 total yards and also had two receivers with over 100 yards. Pedro had nine catches for 126 yards and Anderson made eight receptions for 127 yards and a pair of TDs.
 
Sellers added a career-high six catches for 60 yards.
 
Defensively, Bryce Norman had a game-high 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Norman went over 300 tackles in his career, becoming the 10th player in program history to get 300 or more career tackles.
 
Two others, including Riddick and Mali Walton posted double-digit tackles. Riddick followed with 11 and Walton turned in 10.
 
SEMO improved to 9-2 in conference home-openers under Head Coach Tom Matukewicz.
 
The Redhawks will be idle next week before returning to action at Southern Illinois on Sept. 21.